Dental articulator



April 17, 1951 l.. sHoRE DENTAL ARTICULATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Mayl, 1948 ATTOPNEY INVENTOR. Louis L. SHORE BY L. L. SHORE DENTALARTICULATOR April 17, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May l, 1948 F'IG. 2

I' INVENTOR. 75 Lows L SHORE ATTQRNEY Patented Apr. 17, 1951 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFIC DENTAL ARTICULTR Louis L. shore', Cleveland, ohioApplication May 1, 1948, Serial No. 24,457

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to dental articulators of the type used tosimulate jaw movements in the processing of dentures.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide anarticulating device which is also adapted to serve as a duplicator andcentriculator, thereby ob'viating the requirement for several distinctpieces of dental equipment.

Another object of my invention is to provide an articulator which isprovided with an adjustable support post, thereby permitting greateraccuracy in translating the movement of the patients jaw to thearticulator.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an articulator inwhich a greater range of adjustment is possible than in presently useddevices.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent duringthe course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughoutthe same,

Fig. l is a top plan view of an articulator embodying the features of myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my improved articulator, a portion thereofbeing broken away to show details of the columnar structure.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the articulator, a portion thereof beingbroken away to show details of the structure.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on line 4 4 of Fig.3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View, taken on line 5 5 of Fig.1.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view, taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view, taken on line 1--1 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional View, taken on line 8 8 of Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the articulator is seen tocomprise broadly a base I, an upper jaw member 2 and a central supportcolumn 3. 'Ihe base I is generally triangular in form and is providedwith a medially disposed portion 4 which serves as a mounting plate foran artificial denture or model, as is customary in the art. The mountingplate 4 has embossed thereon a series of intersecting ribs 5 which serveto maintain the denture against slippage on the mounting plate and alsoserve as registration points for accuratereplacement of the denture vonthe plate after it has vbeen removed.

elements to be hereinafter described. The post 'I and the wall 9 of theembossment 6 are provided with complementary keyways Il] which areadapted to slidablyreceive keys II and I2. The lowermost key i2 issecured against movement by a screw I3. The upper key il is held infrictional engagement with the post 8 by means of a thumb screw I4 whichis threaded into the wall 9 of the embossment 6 and which bears againstthe surface of the key II. It will be apparent that the foregoingarrangement of parts permits the post 8 to be raised or lowered, asdesired, and locked at a selected height by proper manipulation of thethumb screw I4. It will also be noted that the keys II and I2 preventthe post 8 from rotating about its own axis, thereby maintaining thecondylar elements in equilateral relationship to the incisal guide unit.

The upper portion of the post 8 terminates in 5 a cross-piece I5 which,for purposes of rigidity and strength, is formed wtih a T cross-section,as best seen in Fig. '7. The end portions I5 of the cross-piece projectdownwardly at an angle and terminate in disc-like portions I'I which arerecessed as at I8 to provide sockets for condylar posts I9 which arerotatably mounted therein. A thumb screw 20 extends upwardly into therecess I8 centrally thereof and is threaded into the post I9 therebypermitting the post I9 to be secured against rotation after a desiredsetting has been obtained. Suitable indicia 2l may be placed around theexterior of the disc-like portion I'I and an indicator mark 22 may beplaced on the post I9 so as to indicate the relative angularity throughwhich the posts I9 are rotated.

Each condylar post I9 is surmounted by a condylar head 23 in the form ofa split ring having projecting ears 24. An adjusting screw 25, whichtraverses the ears 24, can be utilized to vary the internal diameter ofthe head 23 within narrow limits.

The head is recessed circumferentially thereof as at 26 and 2T, therecess 25 serving to accommodate a ilange 29 on a circular bearing 28which is rotatably mounted in the head 23. The recess 21 accommodates aflat circular plate 39, the plate 30 and the bearing 23 being joinedtogether by a screw 3| and a thumb screw 32. The screw 3| allows aslight clearance between the parts, so that when the thumb screw 32 isreleased, thev it plate 3l) may be rotated relatively to the bearing 28,arcuate slots 33 being provided in the plate 3D to permit such rotation.

An elongated depression 34 of semi-circular cross-section is formed inthe bearings 28, which depression is adapted to serve as a bearingsurface for the spherical ends 36 of a shaft 35 Which extends betweenthe condylar heads 23 and is supported by the bearings 28 mountedtherein.

Rigidly secured to each end 36 of the shaft and projecting axiallytherefrom is a shaft extension 31 of smaller diameter than the shaft 35,which extends through openings in the bearing 2B and the plate andprojects laterally of the condylar heads 23. The aforesaid openingscomprise a horizontally disposed slot 38 in the bearing 23 and acorresponding slot 39 in the plate 3G, the slot 35 being rotatable froman aligned position with the slot 38 to a position substantiallyvertical or normal to the slot 38. It 'will be apparent (see Fig. 2)that when the slot 39 coincides with the position of slot 38, the shaft35 is free to move along the slots in a horizontalf plane. However, whenthe plate 33 is rotated so that the slot 39 is disposed vertically, theshaft 35 will be locked against displacement and will be free to moveonly about its own Likewise, if the condylar heads 23 be rotated aboutthe axis defined by the screws 2B so as to be disposed at an angle otherthan normal to the longitudinal axis of the shaft 35, the shaft canagain be locked against displacement by rotation of the plate 35 and itsslot 33 to a position which, under these circumstances, is intermediatethe horizontal and vertical positions. Thus at any selected position ofangularity of the heads 23, the shaft 35 is either free to move back andforth in the depressions 35 or is locked in centric relation in thearticulator, depending upon the setting of the plate 33. A pin it issecured to the surface of the plate 33 for convenience in effectingrotation of the plate.

The upper jaw member 2, just as the base i, is of a generally triangularform, but is of Somewhat smaller proportion. Its undersurface isprovided with the pattern of raised ribs 5, previously mentioned, whichserves as a mounting plate 52 for an artificial denture or model. Twolaterally spaced thumb-screws isi extend from the upper surface of themember 2 into the mounting plate area and are normally threaded intonuts (not shown) which are imbedded in the denture. The screws il serveto secure the denture to the mounting plate and also assist in assuringaccurate registry of the denture when it is replaced after removal.

The undersurface of the rearward portion of the member 2 is providedwith a groove is of semi-circular cross-section, in which the shaft 35may lie. The jaw member 2 is rigidly secured to the shaft 35 by twoscrews 44.

Two spaced ears 35 depend from the jaw member 2, these ears having bores56 extending therethrough. When the upper jaw member is parallel to thebase l, the bore d6 is in alignment with a bore i1 in spaced ears 48which project upwardly from the cross-piece l5 in proximity to the earse5. A locking pin 4S extends through the ears e5 and 48 and therebylocks the member 2 and the shaft 35 against rotation relative to thebase I.

rThe forward extremity of the member 2 has slidably mounted therein anincisal stem or post 5B which is secured at selected positions of heightby means of a screw 5l which bears against it.

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Suitable indicia 52 are scored on the post 55 to provide reference marksfor the settings of the post.

The lower portion of the incisal post 53 termihates in a rounded stub orfinger 53 which rests in a narrow groove 53 in a support member 55 whichforms part of the incisal guide assembly indicated generally by thenumeral 54 and to be more fully described below.

rEhe forward portion of the base i is formed as a low flat platform 51with upstanding spaced ears 58 between which the incisal guide assembly56 is pivotally suspended.

The incisal guide 59 is in the form of a semif circular base having anupstanding flange 6| around the arcuate periphery thereof and twoupstanding posts 62 along the diametrical edge thereof. Extendinglaterally from the incisal guide, co-planar with the base 60, are narrowextensions 53 which are lupturned at their ends to form ears 54. Theears 64 nest between the ears 58 on the platform 51 and are pivotallysecured to the ears 58 by means of a rivet 65 and a thumb screw 56. Theincisal guide 59 may thus be tilted or pivoted to selected positions ofinclination and may be secured in such positions by means of the screw66.

rThe support member 55, previously mentioned, is formed with a dependingbifurcated portion 61 at the forward end thereof and the ears 58 whichare thus formed straddle a swivel pin 69 which is pivotally secured tothe base 63 of the incisal guide 53. The support is in turn pivotallysecured to the swivel 53 by means of a rivet 10 or the like whichextends through the ears 68 and the swivel 69. A projecting pin 1iextends from the rearward portion of the support member 55 and isadapted to overlie the flange 3| and maintain the support 55 in asubstantially horizontal position, except as will hereinafter appear.

Adjustable stops 12 are siidably mounted in the posts 52 and arefrictionally secured against movement by thumb screws 13 which arethreaded vertically into the posts 52 and bear against the stops 12.When manipulating the articulator, the arc traversed by the support 55may be limited in either direction by proper setting of the stops 12,the ends of the stops thereby abutting the sides of the support member`55 when the desired limit of pivotal movement is reached. Suitableindicia 14 may be provided on the stops 12 to serve as memoranda of thesettings.

Two arcuate spring-metal `leaves 15 are pivotally secured to the flange5| by a common screw 15. The spring leaves conform substantially to theshape and height of the flange Gl. Each leaf 15 is provided with a slot11 through which extends a thumb screw 13 which bears against the leaf.As best seen in Fig. 5, the leaves 15 may be pivoted about the screw 13so as to create an incline upon which the pin 1| will ride duringmanipulation of the articulator. The leaves 15 can, of course, besecured in position Iby the thumb screws 18.

The arrangement of the parts of the incisal guide assembly 54 thuspermits universal movement of the incisal post 50 to accurately simu-Aered in conformity with `the actual. anatomical structure which is beingduplicated, thereby insuring accuracies in simulation which haveheretofore been unavailable to the dental practitioner. This alsopermits a greater degree of accuracy in the setting up and articulationof finished and unfinished dentures than` has heretofore been possible.

The novel means for locking the entire upper jaw member against movementalso permits the articulator increased usefulness in processing denturesand models, and in duplicating and other uses.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herein shown anddescribed, represents means for supporting said upper jaw member,

said means comprising a hollow column provided on said base member, asupporting post vertically slidable in said column, vertically extendingkeyways provided in said post and said column, a key connecting saidkeyways, and a set screw extending radially through said column intoengagement With `said key whereby to frictionally secure said postagainst sliding movement.

2. In a dental articulator, a base member, an upper jaw member andvertically adjustable vmeans for supporting said upper jaw .member, saidmeans comprising a hollow column provided on said base member, asupporting post vertically slidable in said column, vertically extendingkeyways provided in said post and said column, a key immovably securedto said column and connecting said keyways, a second key slidablymounted in said keyways, and locking means provided on said column forengaging said secf ond key whereby to frictionally secure said post apreferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape,size and arrangement of the parts may be resorted to without departingfrom the spirit of my invention or thescope of upper jaw member andvertically adjustableV against sliding movement.

LOUIS L. SHORE'.

REFERENCES CITEDV The following references are of record in the rile ofthis patent:

UNITED sTA'I'Es PATENTS

